Former Travis County District Attorney candidate Mindy Montford was a late filer for the 299th District Court race, making her decision at 4:45pm on filing day according to my last conversation with her. Fellow Democrat Karen Sage had been running for the seat after moving from the 147th District Court seat, and besides Montford, is now joined by two other candidates Leonard Martinez and Eve Schatelowitz Alcantar.
But even when the late start Mindy Montford has gotten out with some early wins in the endorsement process as the AFL-CIO, Austin Central Labor Council and the Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association (TCSLEA) have endorsed Montford for judge.
"The AFL-CIO (Austin Central Labor Council) and TCSLEA represent key members of our community from city and county employees to teachers, firefighters, and other union members, and I'm grateful to have their support," says Montford.
"Ms. Montford is an extremely bright and tough individual with experience critical for sitting on the bench in the 299th District Court," says Brett Spicer of the Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association. "No doubt, Montford is the best candidate for Travis County in this race," he added.
Austin Central Labor Council President David Adamson says Montford received his group's endorsement because of her track record in the community. "Ms. Montford has lived in this area most of her life. She has worked on issues critical to this community and will bring a fair and honest perspective to the bench," he says.
As many folks who pay attention to such things know, I have recently moved from the race for Judge Wilford Flowers' bench, the 147th, into the race for Judge Charlie Baird's bench, the 299th. Now that I have filed for the ballot, I wanted to explain why I made this move and why I believe this is best for Travis County, the Democratic Party, and me.
First, I can't say enough about how proud I am of my campaign. We fought and campaigned hard in the 147th, but it was always respectful, positive, and focused on the court. I am happy that I can say the same about my former opponent, Cliff Brown. I wish Cliff the best of luck and offer my sincere thanks for engaging in a spirited and important conversation about justice in Travis County.
I will continue to run a respectful, positive, and justice-oriented campaign for the 299th. When I heard that Judge Baird was retiring, I was shocked, then saddened. The innovative and courageous way in which Judge Baird approached justice is something I have admired greatly in his time as a District Judge. That is why, in my mind, it was a simple choice to make the move into the race for his seat.
For more than five months, I have been speaking about the needs of the underserved in the criminal justice system, including the mentally ill and the mentally disabled. With Judge Baird not seeking re-election, it is now more important than ever that Travis County voters choose a courageous, compassionate, and committed judge to continue to improve the way we do justice in Travis County. I hope to further Charlie's work in my own way, looking at new and innovative solutions to the revolving door of criminal justice and seeking to reduce recidivism.
Since I decided to move to the 299th, I have been overwhelmed by the new support for my campaign and the words of encouragement from my friends, colleagues, and supporters. In just a few days, I have earned the public support of nearly a hundred Democratic voters, including:
Joyce Adejumo, Jim Arth, Lance Bagby, Christine Baleshta, Emma Barrientos, Ben Blackburn, Lila Carl, Bryan Case, Elizabeth Christian, Simon Coats, Gary Cobb, Nichelle Cobb, Elsie Craven, Cecelia Crossley, Ralph Dalton, Ian Davis, Chris Dorbandt, Eva Eakin, Hon. Chris Elliott, Mary Ann Espiritu, Lisa Evans, Amy Everhart, Patricia Floyd, Ann Gardner, Bonny Gardner, Kay Gaul, Erik Goodman, Richard Gravois, Natalie Gray, Kathleen Green, Julia Guernsey, Carla Guthrie, Catherine Haenni, Russell Hahn, Amy Hajdu, Barbara Harverstick, John Hinton, Shirley Johnson, Katie King, Hon. Ann Kitchen, R.B. Klug, Anne T. Kohler, Ken Koock, Paul Labuda, Hon. Glen Maxey, Anne & Bill McAfee, Fred McGhee, Bertha Means, Hon. Myra McDaniel, Tyler Miloy, Amy Wong Mok, Joel Morgan, Nancy Neavel, Mary Ann Neely, James & Lisa O'Donnell, William & Gina O'Hara, Matt Parkerson, Penelope Porter, Walter Prentice, Ellen Richards, Jo Ann Richmond, Peggy Romberg, Wade Russell, Larry Sauer, Rosanne Scott, Ronald Seamon, Billie Shelton, Dawn Skinner, Scott Smith, Niyanta Spelman, Paula Talley, Walter Timberlake, Hon. Bruce Todd, Joe Turner, Valentina Vale, Kitty Villa, Mark Westenhover, Jill Williams, Mark Yznaga, and Greg Zaney
With the primary vote less than three months away, my campaign team and I will work harder than ever, and I look forward to meeting more Democratic voters to talk about this race.
Yesterday, Karl-Thomas and David wrote about both Baird's rumored retirement and Karen Sage's announcement to switch races and run for 299th District Court.
This morning, Judge Baird released an official statement announcing his intentions to complete his term and not run for re-election.
Here is the statement in full.
Today, Judge Charlie Baird announced that he will not seek re-election to the 299th District Court.
"Serving the people of Travis County has been the highest honor of my professional career," said Baird. "I am leaving the best job on earth, to devote more time to life's most important job, being a parent." Baird is the father of two preschool-aged children.
Baird's time in office has been notable for his efforts to help criminal defendants extricate themselves from the criminal justice system and become productive members of society.
Baird established a program to help defendants find employment and uses his courtroom to hold parenting, anger management and cognitive skills classes. The classes are free and frequently attended by Baird.
Earlier this year, Baird made history when he presided over the first posthumous exoneration in Texas, clearing the name of Tim Cole who was unjustly convicted of rape in Lubbock and later died in prison.
Baird, 54, was elected district judge in 2006 and took office on January 1, 2007. His term of office will end on December 31, 2010.
From 1990 through 1998, Baird, a Democrat, served on the Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas' highest criminal court. From 1999 until his election, Baird served as a visiting trial and appellate judge, and taught criminal law subjects at Texas Tech University and South Texas College of Law, his alma mater. At the end of his current term, Baird will have served twenty (20) years in the judiciary.
Baird left open the door for a future run for political office, saying: "There will be an appropriate opportunity for me to return to public service but now is the time to devote to my family."
Baird, known for having a large number of photographs of his wife and children in his chambers, often questions criminal defendants about their children and frequently orders them to take parenting classes.
Last June, Baird announced that he would seek re-election and had been endorsed by many elected officials, community leaders and attorneys. He is currently unopposed in both the Democratic Party Primary and the General Election. Baird said the contributions to his re-election campaign would be returned.
As Karen Sage moves quickly and deliberately into the race for 299th, the rumors of Mindy Montford running turned from insider discussion to public conversation. Montford, former candidate for District Attorney, began a discussion on facebook last night asking friends what they thought of a potential run.
Montford has residual name ID from running in a high profile, well financed race recently, but would that be enough to defeat Sage who is already in the race and has been in the field for months?
Tomorrow is the first day to apply for the ballot. Expect our Democratic candidates to shake up a little more before the January deadline as both expected and unexpected candidates begin to file.
It was the buzz at tonight's Capital Area Progressive Democrats / South Austin Democrats Holiday Party at the AFL-CIO and in less than an hour, official confirmation by email from Karen Sage that she indeed will be moving to run in the 299th District Court to be vacated by Charlie Baird who just announced he will not seek re-election.
I begin this e-mail on a note of sadness, because I have recently learned that one of Travis County's most accomplished judges and beloved Democrats, Charlie Baird, has decided not to run for re-election to the 299th District Court. Judge Baird has had a distinguished judicial career, both on the Criminal Court of Appeals and in the 299th District Court. There are many, including myself, who will miss his presence on the bench.
I am very excited, however, because I have decided to move from pursuing the 147th District Court bench to seek Judge Baird's empty seat on the 299th District Court. After speaking with friends, family, and supporters, I believe this is the best move for Travis County. There is no appreciable difference between the courts - they both deal with felony criminal cases, and I will be able to work for justice in the exact same way as I would be able to work for it on the 147th.
This now leaves Cliff Brown as the sole candidate standing for the Democratic nomination in the 147th District Court. Previously, Judge David Crain decided to seek retiring Judge Bob Perkins's bench on 331st District Court.
It remains unclear if Sage will remain without primary challenge. Tonight's chatter was centered around former Assistant District Attorney and 2008 Travis County District Attorney candidate Mindy Montford who was also in attendance at tonight's holiday party and did not appear to be going out of her way to quash any rumors at this time. Sage's lightening fast email tonight would be a smart move if one were attempting to move quickly to gain an early edge in hope to scare off other challengers.
(Karen Sage is a candidate for the 147th District Court in Travis County. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Hello, my name is Karen Sage, and I'm running to be your next judge on the 299th District Court. I am writing this diary because I wanted to lay out why I'm running for judge, what makes me qualified, and why this race is important, so what better forum on the internet is there than Burnt Orange Report to do so? First, I'd like to tell you a little bit about who I am before I get into my legal credentials and the race itself.
Who I Am I was born 44 years ago in a small Minnesota town called Worthington, a place with fewer than 10,000 residents. It is in the far southwestern corner of the state, just north of Iowa and just east of South Dakota. My father, Jim, was a police officer there for 40 years, and my mother, Dorothy, ran a small drapery and upholstery business. I was the first in my family to attend college, and the first in my family to attend law school. My career and my family have taken me many places, and I've lived in Los Angeles and New York City before settling in Austin, where I'd like to spend the rest of my life.
I am married to a professor of law at the University of Texas, and I have two children ages eight and ten. It hasn't been easy to be a mother and an attorney, but my drive to work in public service has always made the struggle worth it. My experience growing up in the Midwest and living on the two coasts has given me a unique perspective. It is my hope to serve this community with all of my ability, to make Austin a better, safer place, and to broaden the horizon of justice to serve all of the citizens of this world-class city.
Why Run? The most common question I hear when I'm out on the campaign trail is: "Why are you running for judge?" The answer is simple for me - I believe in public service and I believe in justice. For most of my career, I have been a public servant, and I have always tried to do justice no matter what role I have occupied. Justice is the backbone of our democracy, it is the safeguard of our rights, and it is the last bastion of our civilization. There is nothing nobler than pursuing justice, ensuring equality, and fighting for what is right. I believe that I have the courage, the compassion, and the commitment to be a great judge.
Baird, who was profiled in this lengthy and informative 2008 Austin Chronicle story, has already had one challenger announce and withdraw this cycle. While currently without an opponent, things may not stay that way due to the various interests in Austin that have their own issues with his style of justice.
Baird has previously served on the statewide Court of Criminal Appeals from 1990-1998 where he authored over 1,000 opinions as one of the most highly respected judge of both parties on that court.
Update: Bishop has since withdrawn his intent to challenge Baird in the Democratic primary.
Charlie Baird looks to have gotten another primary challenger out of the Travis County District Attorney's office. Back in 2006, he defeated Buddy Meyer 58-42 in the primary. Next spring, he'll have to fend off Bill Bishop in the race for the 299th District Court.
Bishop is an Assistant District Attorney who had been the lead prosecutor in the Colton Pitonyak and Laura Hall cases. While admirable work, I wouldn't be surprised if Bishop takes that case and the ADA angle (the DA's office doesn't like Baird because he, like, cares about people or something there is known tension between the ADA's and his court) and tries to go with a "soft on crime" attack on Baird. I'm not sure how successful that will be in a Democratic primary especially in an off year with a base electorate that likes Judge Baird.
Statesman: Without citing specific cases, Bishop said that he disagrees with some of Baird's decisions to release defendants awaiting trial on personal bond or to release those convicted on probation.
"I just don't think that Judge Baird's opinions match that of the people of this county," he said.
Baird is a different kind of judge, and maybe Bishop can articulate debate about what opinions people have on justice in Travis County, but to be honest, Baird's ideas are very much in sync with the Democratic electorate.
Baird said he could not respond to Bishop without specifics.
"That's what elections are for, is to see if I'm in tune with the people of Travis County or he is, and I welcome that debate," Baird said.
"I'm happy to run on my record. I think I've done a good job and I'm exactly the kind of judge that the people of Travis County want - someone who is progressive and innovative and not someone who is 'lock someone up and throw away the key.' "
